Rail-joint.



N9; 844,132. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907. 1). JQIRWIN & H. J. STRAWN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26, 1906.

THE NORRIS "ETERS co., \VA5HINGTON, D4 c UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFIGE.

DONALD J. IRWIN, or BUFFALO, MISSOURI, AND HALBERT J. STRAWN, OF

ALBION,

ILLINOIS.

FlAlL-JOlNT.

T 0 ml] whom it puny concern:

Be it known that we, DONALD J. IRWIN and HALBERT J. STRAWN, citizens of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Dallas and State of Missouri, and Albion, in the county of Edwards, State of Illinois, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailJoints, of w; .ich the follow ing is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in rail-joints, and one of the objects is to provide a simple means for rigidly securing the abutting ends of two rails together, so as to absolutely preclude the possibility of spreading or working loose or the creeping of rails.

Another object is to preserve the ends of the rails wlich are subjected to an excessive amount of pounding due to the heavy rolling-stock from one rail to another.

Still another object is to provide means by wliich the usual bolts and nuts are dispensed with in the rail-joint; and still a further objectis to provide means for preventing the buckling of the rails due to ex ansion from heat without the necessity 0' cutting the rails, as is customary.

I/Vith the foregoing objects in view our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view. lig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig. 3 is a view of the base-plate. Fig. 4 is a view of one of the fish-plates. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the center block. Figs. 6 and 7 are sections taken at right angles through a slightly-modified form of construction.

A represents a base-plate, which may be made of steel or cast-iron and in any suitable dimensions, preferably long enough to reach over two or three ties, to which it is adapted to be rigidly secured by spikes or otherwise. This base-plate is provided with upturned flanges 1 1 at its side edges. Fish-plates 2 2 are made to conformsubstantially to the base and web of the rails 3 3, and they are secured upon the base-plate with the upturned flanges 1 1 thereof with the ends of the rails between them, and the same spikes which secure the base-plate down upon the ties may also be employed to secure the fishplates to the base-plate, if desired, although this is not necessary.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

In one form of our invention we employ a removable center block 4. This is a small i section of a rail and is adapted to be placed between the centers of the fish-plates, its function being, primarily, to sustain the shock which the end of the rail usually bears due to the wheels rolling from one rail to another, thus taking the weight from the rail and preserving the rails in their integrity at their ends as well as throughout their length. A secondary object is to provide means for preventing buckling of the track when rails expand, thus effecting a great saving in time and trouble w'i'..ich usually results from the cutting of rails for t? is purpose. Then this center block is used, it is provided v ith a slot 5 through the web just below the lower surface of the tread, and in this a clamp 6 is secured. Its ends 7 7 extend downwardly, the purpose of this clamp being to seat itself in the notches 8 8 in the upper edges of the fishj plates, whereby to prevent the fish-plates spreading, also by being seated in the notches therein preventing creeping of the rails. The center block is easily removed by removing one of the fish-plates, preferably the inner one, whereupon it is comparatively easy to remove the center block should occasion require its replacement or its removal altogether to relieve the buckling wt'ich results frequently from expansion of rails.

It is perfectly possible to dispense altogether with the center block and yet attain substantially the 88.1176 ends, and we tl1erefare propose as an alternative construction the use of a clamp alone, such as is shown in Figs. (Sand 7, in which event the abutting ends of the rails are provided with notches 9 9 in the webs in position to receive l the clamp, the ends of the rails being brought together and the clamp, as before, straddled,

the upper edges of the fish-plates being j ed in the notches thereof. This construction has all the advantages cf the other, except that it does not afford a rail-block such as described nor does it provide means for redue to expansion. In

lieving the buckling ided a very simple and l 1 this way we have pro l, at the same time rigid joint for rails, one j which will not work loose. It is furtherl more cf such a nature that it prevents the l spreading and creeping of rails as well.

j The inventi3n is of a character that it can 1 readily be applied to any tracks already in j existence, as well as to new constructions.

seat- It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departure from the spirit and scope of our inventian, and hence We do not Wish to limit ourselves to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a flanged baseplate and rails having notched basedlanges, of fish-plates fitted to the baseplate and base and -Webs of the rails and having notched upper edges adapted to receive a cla'np, the downwardly turned ends of which embrace the two fish-plates, one of said fish-plates arranged in pJSiLiJII to register vith the notches in the base of the rails, whether they go together or are separated a short distance, said holes adapted to receive spikes for i'astening the rails in place.

2. The combination with a flanged baseplate and rails having notched base-flanges having a plurality cf holes I of fish-plates fitted t0 the base-plate and base and webs of the rails and having notched upper edges adapted to receive a clamp, the downwardly-turned ends of which embrace the two fish-plates, one of said fish-plates having a plurality of holesarranged in position to register with the notches in the base of the rails whether they go tcg'ether or are separated a short distance, said holes adapted to receive spikes for fastening the rails in place, and a removable center blcck adapted to be interposed between the ends cf the rails and having a slot therethrough to receive the clamp. I

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

DONALD J. IRWIN. HALBERT J.,STRAWN.

Witnesses LILLIAN' C. IRWIN, WILLIS GANN, WILLIAM R. STRAWN, LEE Woons. 

